”When I look at guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, as they get older, I think they begin to appreciate and savor the opportunities more because you’re closer to the end than you are to the beginning and you never know how many more you have left.”

The 73-year-old Michaels is in no hurry to give up the microphone on NBC’s ”Sunday Night Football” broadcast, which is on target to be television’s highest-rated show for a record seventh straight year, passing the mark set by ”American Idol.”

With a comfort level with his broadcast team led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli, director Drew Esocoff and analyst Cris Collinsworth, Michaels is having as much fun as he ever had since becoming the lead announcer for ABC’s ”Monday Night Football” in 1986.

Michaels points to advice from former Buffalo coach Marv Levy about never considering retirement. He could be in position to stay long enough to match Summerall’s record of 11 Super Bowl play-by-play broadcasts.

”If you think about retiring, you’ve already retired,” Michaels said. ”That rings in my ears. I have a great amount of passion for what I do. I love what I do. I work with the greatest people I’ve ever worked with in this business top to bottom. I still get excited going to the games. I love walking into a stadium. I love sports.”

It’s been a remarkable career for Michaels, who has called eight World Series, including the Earthquake Series in 1989; nine Olympics, including the ”Miracle on Ice” in 1980; and now is preparing for his 10th Super Bowl.

”I’ve been watching sports all my life and in my opinion no one can capture the moment quite like Al can. It’s never rehearsed or predetermined – he sees it, calls it and somehow the words are perfect. He never ceases to amaze me.”

Michaels’ first Super Bowl came following the 1987 season when Doug Williams led Washington to a 42-10 victory. Several of his others have included some of the most dramatic finishes in Super Bowl history, from Scott Norwood’s missed field goal for Buffalo in 1991, to Mike Jones’ tackle of Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line on the final play to preserve St. Louis’ title in 2000, to Eli Manning’s second comeback drive to beat Tom Brady six years ago.

But two stand out the most. The first was in 2009, when Pittsburgh’s James Harrison returned an interception 100 yards for a score on the final play of the first half, and then Santonio Holmes caught the winning TD for the Steelers in the final minute of a comeback win over Arizona.

Then in the most-watched television event in U.S. history three years ago, the Patriots won their fourth title when Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass from Russell Wilson at the goal line when it looked as if the Seahawks were poised to score the go-ahead TD in the closing seconds.

Those are the moments no broadcaster can ever prepare for, and only the most accomplished can handle as adroitly as Michaels has over the years.

”John Madden once had a great line. We prepare like crazy. We prepare for any eventuality. But you get to the booth, and as John would say, all of a sudden a game breaks out,” Michaels said.

”The game has to come to you. You can’t go to the game. We have a million things we can talk about, but if you start talking about them and they’re not germane to the game, the listener will find that cacophonous. You have to blend what you know with what’s going on in the game.”

One aspect Michaels didn’t have to deal with for most of his career but has risen up this season has been social justice protests during the national anthem. He realizes it’s a delicate balance for an announcer because many fans will be offended by networks showing or talking about the protests Miguel Andujar New York Yankees Jersey , while others will be equally as upset if they are ignored.

While no Eagles or Patriots are currently protesting, Michaels is prepared for any scenario.

”We’re there to report what happens,” he said. ”If there is something that does take place, you have to cover it. You don’t have to editorialize about it. You report here is what happened and you don’t lecture people on this is bad or this is good. People tune in to watch the game and we’ll bring them the game.”

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SCOREBOARD

Sunday, Feb. 4

Philadelphia vs New England, 6:30 p.m. EST. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in search of a sixth title. They’ll face a Philadelphia Eagles team looking for their first Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots will try to match the Pittsburgh Steelers’ six Super Bowl trophies when they face the Eagles in Minneapolis.

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STARS

Passing

– Tom Brady, Patriots, was 26 for 38 for 290 yards with two touchdowns passes, both in the fourth quarter, in New England’s 24-20 win over Jacksonville in the AFC championship game.

– Nick Foles, Eagles, was 26 for 33 for 352 yards and three touchdowns in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota in the NFC championship game.

– Blake Bortles, Jaguars, was 23 for 36 for 293 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 24-20 loss to New England.

– Allen Hurns, Jaguars, had six catches for 80 yards in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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Special Teams

– Josh Lambo Kendall Wright Color Rush Jersey , Jaguars, went 2 for 2 on field goals, including a 54-yarder, and 2 for 2 on extra points in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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Defense

– Patrick Robinson, Eagles, returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota.

– Dante Fowler Jr., Jaguars, had two sacks in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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SUPER BOWL SET

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in search of a sixth title. They’ll face a Philadelphia Eagles team looking for their first Lombardi Trophy. Brady led the Patriots (15-3) back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC championship game. Starting his 36th playoff game, Brady shook off an injury to his right hand and the loss of top target Rob Gronkowski to rally the Patriots to their record 10th Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots will try to match the Pittsburgh Steelers’ six Super Bowl trophies when they face the Eagles (15-3) on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis. Nick Foles, the backup QB who was thrust into the starting role when Carson Wentz blew out his left knee last month, led the Philadelphia to a 38-7 rout of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game. Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise and moxie in going 26 for 33.

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STREAKS & STATS

The Patriots were called for one penalty against the Jaguars. It is the fewest penalties called on one team in a playoff game since the 2011 AFC championship when the Patriots were called for one penalty in a win over the Ravens. … In the first three quarters against Jacksonville, the Patriots’ Tom Brady had an 87.5 passer rating; in the fourth quarter Michael Gallup Color Rush Jersey , Brady had a 136.3 passer rating. … Nick Foles’ 53-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery by the Eagles in the NFC championship game is the longest touchdown pass by any player against the Vikings this season, including the playoffs. … Philadelphia’s 38 unanswered points are the most by any team in a playoff game since the Jets scored 41 straight points against the Colts in the 2002 wild-card round. … The Eagles are the seventh team since 1970 to win a conference championship game by 30 or more points, and the first since the 2015 Panthers, who beat the Cardinals 49-15. … The AFC has been represented by either Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger in 14 of the past 15 Super Bowls. The exception is the Ravens’ Joe Flacco in Super Bowl 47.

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MILESTONES

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will be making their eighth Super Bowl appearance as a quarterback-coach duo, as many as any other team (excluding the Patriots) in NFL history. … The past four times the Patriots have trailed by double digits in a playoff game, they came back to win. On Sunday, New England trailed 20-10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars before rallying for a 24-20 win. In Super Bowl 51, New England trailed 28-3 before rallying for a 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons. In Super Bowl 49, New England trailed 24-14 before rallying for a 28-24 win. In the AFC divisional round on Jan. 10, 2015, they trailed 28-14 before rallying for a 35-31 win over Baltimore.

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SPEAKING

”He’s a tough guy, we all know that. But we’re not talking about open heart surgery here.” – Patriots coach Bill Belichick on quarterback Tom Brady playing with a right hand injury and throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to rally the Patriots to a 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

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”Words can’t describe what I feel right now. All glory goes to God. I’m grateful and humbled to be part of this team. No one in the.